The San Diego Gulls announced today that the American Hockey League (AHL) club has partnered with FOX 5 San Diego to televise Gulls hockey to the San Diego region beginning Sunday, Feb. 12. FOX 5 San Diego is the local FOX network TV station proudly serving San Diego television viewers.

“We’re excited to enter a groundbreaking partnership with FOX 5 San Diego to extend our reach to Gulls fans and hockey fans throughout San Diego,” said Matt Savant, Gulls President of Business Operations. “FOX 5 San Diego provides leading sports coverage throughout our region, and our partnership will broaden the access of hockey to our community by televising the highest level of the sport San Diego has ever seen.”

The inaugural broadcast will see the Gulls host the Bakersfield Condors at Valley View Casino Center (5 p.m.), the first television broadcast since the Gulls began play in San Diego last season. The telecast will feature a special FOX 5 Sports Final at 4:30 p.m. prior to the game with a postgame show immediately following the game and concluding at 8 p.m.

“We are thrilled to be partners with the San Diego Gulls and to showcase local hockey the Sunday after the Super Bowl on FOX 5 is very exciting,” said Scott Heath, FOX 5 President and General Manager. “In addition to over 540 hours of live sports programming each year, we will program a special FOX 5 Sports Final at 4:30 p.m. followed by our live telecast of the Gulls vs. Bakersfield Condors game on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.”

Craig Elsten, play-by-play voice of the Gulls, and color analyst B.J. MacPherson will call all Gulls broadcasts on FOX 5 San Diego. Elsten, in his second season as the Gulls’ voice, has called all home and road games this season in addition to all 68 regular-season and nine postseason contests in 2015-16 during the club’s inaugural AHL season in San Diego.

MacPherson, who has called all home games this season and all 34 home contests last season with Elsten, played 774 games of professional hockey in the AHL, WCHL and International Hockey League (IHL) from 1994-2001 and was a member of the West Coash Hockey League (WCHL) San Diego Gulls from 1996-2001. MacPherson collected 319 goals and 501assists in his professional hockey career, and scored 137 goals and 345 points with the Gulls while he also won four WCHL Taylor Cup Playoff Championships in San Diego.